At this year’s Wisconsin Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) State Leadership Conference, students from across Wisconsin gathered to decorate and fill wellness boxes for individuals receiving care at Rogers Behavioral Health.
Each box was filled with thoughtful items designed to support self-care and emotional well-being, such as art supplies, mindfulness coloring books, games, and more. These items were gathered as part of a year-long “Coping Skills Drive,” a statewide community service project born out of a partnership between FCCLA, Rogers Behavioral Health, and Wisconsin Initiative for Stigma Elimination (WISE).
“Thanks to this collaboration, teenagers from across the whole state have an opportunity, not only for themselves to learn more about mental health challenges, but also to learn how stigma affects people trying to seek help and services,” said Alison Wolf, Community Learning Engagement operation and development manager at Rogers Behavioral Health. “The students engaged us with questions about our jobs (and other potential jobs at Rogers), behavioral health and what that entails, quite a bit about mental health stigma, and many were vulnerable about their own mental health struggles.”
FCCLA, which has over 1,800 high school members across Wisconsin, partnered with WISE to reduce stigma and promote mental wellness. Their partnership culminated in:
- WISE facilitated Stigma 101 workshops for student leaders and advisors to deepen their understanding of stigma surrounding mental health
- Ten teachers trained as Compassion Resilience Facilitators to better support students and educators
- Students delivered impactful mental health presentations to judges, with opportunities to advance to the national-level competition
- Four regional mini conferences were held to share the Stigma 101 program
…and the impact was extraordinary:
- 290 coping skills boxes lovingly decorated and filled
- 600 wellness items donated
- $2,640.25 worth of supplies and donations collected in total
Beyond the numbers, what stood out most was the genuine impact on students and communities.
“I just know that it breaks down barriers if we can talk openly about mental health,” said Wolf. “I’ve seen it change people’s lives. I believe storytelling and talking about mental health make all the difference, leading people to seek the help they need.”
Through their collaboration, FCCLA and WISE are equipping young leaders with tools to create stigma-free environments, lead with empathy, and educate others.
Get involved
Hold an Angel Fund Drive or Coping Skills Drive in recognition of May being Mental Health Month!
Whether you’re a former patient or family who wants to stay connected to Rogers Behavioral Health or a passionate supporter of mental health in general, there are many ways to get involved and make a difference!
- Help us fundraise
- Stay connected
- Become a Rogers Champion
- Recognize a Rogers team member
- Volunteer
- Help create a stigma free world
- Support our events
- Participate in research
